MOMENT OF SILENCE: Derek Jeter and the Yankees observe a moment before last night’s road game against the A’s to pay respect to victims of the movie-theater shooting in Colorado. Photo: AP

OAKLAND, Calif. — Nick Swisher said he doesn’t believe in the disabled list, but he is not likely to play tonight against the Athletics and there is a question when the right fielder will return for the Yankees.

Swisher left Friday night’s 3-2 loss at O.co Coliseum with what the club described as a mild strain of his left hip flexor. Swisher said the problem was in another body area.

“It’s more of a quad, hopefully it’s only two or three days. I tried to beat it out and halfway down the line I felt something tug,’’ said Swisher, who suffered the injury running to first in the seventh inning. “DL is not in my dictionary.’’

“[We’ll] take it day to day and see how he feels,’’ Girardi said. “He is not a player for me [tonight], hopefully Sunday.”

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Mark Teixeira was hit by a pitch on the left knee in the eighth inning and hobbled heavily to first. Nevertheless, he said there is not problem.

“I got lucky,’’Teixeira said.

As the July 31 trade deadline approaches, the Yankees have kept in touch with teams who have dangled bullpen pieces.

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Mariano Rivera going down with a torn ACL in early May and David Robertson missing a month proved how fragile relief pitching can be. Though Cody Eppley and Clay Rapada have done well, the Yankees always have their eyes open.

Yet they are not in a rush to make a move because of the progress Joba Chamberlain is making. Chamberlain, whose 30-day rehab assignment expires Aug. 8, made his fourth outing Friday night in Bradenton, Fla.

In two innings for Single-A Tampa, he gave up a run, two hits, fanned one and walked one.

According to Yankees pitching coach Larry Rothschild, Chamberlain’s fastball was clocked in the mid-90s.

The plan is for Chamberlain to throw a bullpen session Monday. The next test will have Chamberlain throw in back-to-back games. If he comes through that exercise with no problems, he could come off the disabled list before the end of July.

Chamberlain hasn’t appeared in the big leagues since last June, when he underwent Tommy John surgery. During spring training, he underwent right ankle surgery after a trampoline accident.

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Robinson Cano went 2-for-4 with a home run during the Yankees’ 3-2 loss last night, extending his hit streak to 23 games.

It was the longest active streak in the majors and the longest by a Yankee since Derek Jeter (1-for-4) hit safely in 25 in a row from Aug. 20-Sept. 16, 2006.

Since 1942, the year after Joe DiMaggio’s record 56-game hitting streak, only three Yankees have had a single-season hitting streak of more than 22 games: Joe Gordon (29 games, May 13-June 14, 1942), Jeter and Don Mattingly (24 games, Aug. 30-Sept. 26, 1986).

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Russell Martin (1-for-3, HR, RBI) and Cano participated in hitting coach Kevin Long’s screen drill, designed for hitters to only pull underhand flips from Long. Cano is a regular and put on a power display.

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Andy Pettitte threw off flat ground from the stretch in the outfield, the second time in three days the veteran lefty performed the exercise.

“It’s encouraging, but I know I have a lot of work to do,’’ said Pettitte, on the disabled list with a fractured left ankle.

Pettitte said he will have an X-ray when the Yankees return from Seattle next week to determine how well the bone is healing. Sept. 1 has been talked about being Pettitte’s return date.

“I still think he has a long way,” Girardi said. “It has to heal more.’’

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CC Sabathia turns 32 Saturday, and the Bay Area native faces the A’s Sunday in front of a huge gathering of friends and family at the Coliseum.

Sabathia’s 186 wins are the most by a pitcher before their 32nd birthday since Catfish Hunter won 210 before turning 32 in 1978.